How to Prepare Appetizing Chicken Sausage Pasta Casserole

Chicken Sausage Pasta Casserole. The Taste You'll Love To Serve With Classico Pasta Recipes. I love a baked pasta dish that doesn't require having to cook the pasta, why dirty an extra pot? Instead, you pour the sauce over the macaroni and the pasta cooks in the sauce, right in the oven.

This Baked Pasta with Sausage & Spinach is loaded with all my favorites! Italian sausage, cottage cheese, pasta sauce, spinach, mozzarella and french fried onions - YUM!! You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freezer for later. You can have Chicken Sausage Pasta Casserole using 12 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Chicken Sausage Pasta Casserole

Prepare 12 oz of whole wheat rotini pasta.
Prepare 1 tsp of olive oil.
Prepare 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs.
It's 2 tbls of parmesan cheese.
It's 1 tsp of dried oregano.
You need 8 oz of cooked italian style chicken sausage.
Prepare 1 of medium yellow pepper.
You need 1 of medium onion chopped.
It's 1 lb of fresh mushrooms.
Prepare 2 tbls of water.
It's 4 cups of marinara sauce.
It's 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

I usually split the casserole in half. I bake one for dinner and freeze the other one for a quick meal. Replace the Parmesan cheese with shredded cheddar cheese or a cheddar jack blend. Enter Healthy Chicken Sausage Casserole, goodbye plain ol' chicken sausage.

Chicken Sausage Pasta Casserole step by step

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray..
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain pasta and return to pot..
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 4 minutes. Remove breadcrumbs to a small bowl; stir in Parmesan and oregano and set aside..
In same skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate and drain any fat from skillet..
Add pepper and onion to skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables start to brown and soften, about 5 minutes..
Add mushrooms and water to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes..
Add vegetables, sausage and marinara sauce to pot with drained pasta; toss to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until heated through and cheese melts, about 25 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving (about 1 1/2 cups)..

I like to use Italian style chicken sausage in this recipe. It just gives the casserole a great balance of heat and flavor that other sausages don't. The fennel from that sausage just works perfectly with the tomatoes, peppers and onions in this dish. Have you got leftover chicken and sausage? Then this casserole is the perfect way to use it up.